Use the tools you’ve already collected.

Are you a conference junkie? Admit it. You know who you are. If there is a speaker or a conference within travel distance, you’re there. You’re there with bells on. You’ve bought the book, you record the teaching, if they let you, and you take notes like crazy. And then you are first in line for questions or prayer.

You get a lot of good information at conferences. You hear inspiring stories you don’t hear anywhere else. You meet other people equally excited about what’s going on. And then you go home. Then what do you do with everything?

Can I suggest that you don’t attend one more conference until you absorb everything you’ve already got? It’s like you buy a new tool everywhere you go and have a really nifty tool belt now, but you’ve never used it. The Bible calls this always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2Tim 3:7)

Stop for as long as it takes to meditate on what you’ve learned. If the conference was on hearing the prophetic voice of God, then settle down to hear Him. Use the teaching that you got and do it. Don’t add to your list of things you never worked out for yourself. Get the teaching, but then take those tools out and use them.

Humility and authority move the kingdom.

The kingdom of God is all about God’s great plan for us. It has always been the heart of God for us to live in harmony and love with Him. He planned it before the foundation of the world, and He knew everyone by name even then.

Living in the kingdom of God requires that we are saved by the amazing sacrifice of Jesus.  When we are saved by grace, we become part of His family, joint heirs with Christ. That comes with the authority to speak in Jesus’ name. That’s like going shopping with Dad’s credit card. We’re given grace to use His name and all the authority that comes with it.

And God expects us to use that authority. It’s there for us to effect change and blessing to the world. We can use that authority to speak healing, grace, peace, and joy where it’s needed. When we don’t, we rob people of blessing. We rob them of the opportunity of seeing the love of God touch their lives in ways they really need.

But Jesus came to show us how to live, and His life was all about humility. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Those who lead should be the first to serve. Humility is a character trait of the kingdom. Arrogance, rudeness, or pride are completely outside of God’s realm. Anyone walking in arrogance clearly has not understood the gospel of peace.

But when you combine the humility of Christ with the keys of authority that He gave us, you are a walking, talking, powerful agent of the kingdom of God. Your humility allows you to minister to the people who really need it. You don’t hesitate because you might look foolish or “uncool”. And when you do,  you release the power of heaven to heal, to bless, and to protect.

God is waiting on you to act for Him. I don’t know why that is so, but it is the way of His kingdom. He put everything in our hands and expects us to believe Him and follow His example.

When you step out as God’s secret weapon, you might feel a little awkward, but the first time you see God answer your prayer right in front of you, you’ll look around for someone else to pray for. Yes, it’s that exciting.

Go for it. Put on His humility, use the authority you’ve been given, and go change some lives.

You are so much more than you know.

You probably have a certain view of yourself that you don’t want to talk about. Most of us have a low opinion of ourselves that we’d rather not have people agree with. But you’d be surprised how others see you.

In fact, God sees you as perfect. He looks through the blood of Christ, and you are exactly the way He wants you to be. You are astounding in beauty and grace and wonder. You are His royal heir, a privileged son or daughter of the King. He sees every bit of the destiny He put in you and smiles. You are His promise.

The enemy sees much of the same thing, and he hates it. He hates that you look like your Father. He hates that you are covered with destiny, because he can see it. He sees the work of God in you more clearly than you do yourself. The enemy knows who you are. You are the promise that he can never be.

When you look in the mirror, stop looking at the past. Start looking into eternity. You’ve been transformed into a new creation. You are a living, breathing promise of God for salvation and life. You have your Father’s eyes and His heart is in you. You look amazing.

God loves passion, not appearance.

Here’s a scenario I can imagine from heaven. God looking down at church on Sunday morning. On one side is a couple sitting quietly. They got ready for church that morning without incident, greeted their friends on the way in, and listen intently to the sermon.

On the other side, a couple had a huge fight while getting ready, got to church late because of it, and are struggling to concentrate on what’s being said.

Who is God impressed with?

The first couple does not get God’s attention. Both of them have so closed off their hearts that nothing can get in. That’s why they don’t even fight. Their polite attention to the sermon only looks good from the outside. Nothing is getting in to change them.

The other couple is incredibly passionate about God, and so have huge targets on their backs. The enemy uses every opportunity to ruin their peace. They sit in church unable to listen to the sermon because they are both repentant before God and asking His forgiveness.

God loves passion. He is so willing to forgive and give grace to those who give everything to Him. Just because the enemy stirs up trouble does not mean that God is not impressed with the passion. Keep your heart open and soft to Jesus. He loves that.

Grace belongs to us as believers.

Grace comes with salvation. It’s because of grace that we are saved. Grace is a big deal in the kingdom of God. It’s favor that we don’t deserve. We don’t deserve it because there’s no way we can earn it. If you could, it wouldn’t be grace.

So grace is yours as a believer. It is the Spirit of God to bless us and bring favor in the things that we trust to God. If you have given your job to God to bless, then you release grace in your job. Jesus said to give Him all our cares, so all the stress of your job you should give to Him. He will bless and give grace to it. You’ll see favor in areas that you really need.

The grace of God can be released in your family, your home, or any area that you give to God. The obvious reverse is that areas that you don’t give to God, He can’t bless for you. That’s when you hold onto control and stress–never a good idea. And in fact, is sin. Jesus said to cast ALL your cares on Him. He said to fear not, and that includes stress.

It is God’s plan for us to be blessed and live in grace. So enjoy!

God wants us to discover His hidden treasures.

I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that yo may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel. (Isa 45:3)

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid, and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. (Mat 13:44)

I think He’s serious about this. There’s stuff that God has hidden from us. I don’t think He’s being malicious about it. He’s not teasing us that there are things we can’t see. But He is teasing us in a way. He wants to see who will go after it.

You don’t find things God has hidden casually. You have to be intentional. You have to want it find them. That’s the heart that God is interested in. Who wants more of God? Who wants to find the hidden treasures of darkness and hidden riches in secret places? If they come from God, they are going to be more than awesome.

You’d better get on board with this, because if you don’t, I’m going to get all of them. I’m not at all shy about pressing into everything that He has for me. How about you?

Another post on God’s hidden treasures: What You Have Is Not Enough

God wants to help you profit.

Does God care if you do well in business? Many would say no. But they may be the same people who think that God lives in church and not at home or the office. Sound silly? Too many people think that it’s selfish to ask God for personal things–things you need or things you like. As if they aren’t holy or “religious”. But God loves to bless you in what you do, and the less “religious” the better.

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. (Isa 48:17) Doesn’t that sound like God is interested in leading you in business? He actually wants to see you prosper, to profit. And if you listen to Him, He gives this promise: your peace would be like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. (Isa 48:18)

There is great blessing in allowing God to lead you in all your ways. He wants to bless your business, and He wants to bless your whole life. He wants you to live in the river of peace. Don’t waste another second. Turn to Him and ask for His help. He’s waiting.

Another post on God’s blessing: Let God Bless You At Work.

It’s ok to dream big, you belong to God.

Historically, the church believed that poverty was godly. That sacrifice and hardship were honorable and personal gain was sinful. As with everything, the extremes are always suspect. Jesus warned that it was harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. (Mat 19:24)

But God also loves to bless. Give and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. (Luke 6:38) God is extravagant. He’s not worried about how much He blesses. When Joseph was found faithful in prison, God made him ruler over a nation.

It’s the enemy who wants us to be doubtful of blessing, to make us feel that we don’t deserve it. He would love to keep us in a poverty mentality when God wants to bless and increase the kingdom. You were not made for small dreams. We are our Father’s children, and He is not small God.

We have been adopted as sons (and daughters) by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. (Eph 1:5) Sons and daughters of the King of Kings, of God, whose amazing love for us made a plan of salvation from the beginning of time so we could live with Him forever. He is not a Father with strict limits on blessing. We’re not bound to so much and no more. That is earthly thinking.

No, our Father is gracious and generous. He is a Father who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Eph 1:3) Think about that. What must the blessings of heaven be like? Everything in heaven is perfect in His presence. His blessings are unlimited. And they are all ours.

It’s ok to ask for this blessing that belongs to us. It’s ok to ask for big dreams because they belong to us as heirs of Christ. Does doubt fly up when you dare to consider this? Where do you think that comes from? Yes, some have perverted the message of abundance, but don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. God is still good and His will is to love you wildly and extravagantly.

Will you receive it? Will you dare to give your dreams to God and let Him breathe on them? If you let Him, He’ll make them so much more than you asked, because He loves you.  He loves you so very much.

Another post on dreaming big: Dreaming Big Scary Dreams

Never let go of your joy.

Never lose your joy. Never lose your excitement and wonder of the things God does for you. Joy isn’t something to be blessed with on special occasions. Joy is for everyday life. It is the kingdom of God–righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Rom 14:17)

The enemy wants to rob you of joy above all things. If he can get you to lay down your joy, then you start looking at your problems and not God. Then you are no threat to him. But when you keep your focus on God and all His goodness, you can hold onto joy because you are filled with His peace.

Living in the kingdom should be joyful. On earth as it is in heaven. There is no discouragement in heaven. Heaven is filled with the presence of God, and He is the source of all joy. That’s how we should live here.

Take back your joy. Hand over everything that is bothering you to Jesus. He said He was here to help. There’s enormous relief in realizing that. You can relax when you know that everything is in God’s hands. Joy is easy to have when you’re not stressed, and stress should never run your life. If it is, your priorities are in the wrong place.

Find your joy and keep it. Forever!

Another post on joy: Looking For Joy In The Wrong Places